Vandals keep graffiti enforcers busy

Sunday

Nov 18, 2012 at 11:00 PMNov 18, 2012 at 11:21 PM

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Ron Brown drives through the city every morning looking for unsightly graffiti. The foreman of the city's Graffiti Task Force knows where to look. He knows how annoying tags are to neighbors — and to him.

“It drives me nuts,” said Mr. Brown, who is part of the city's Department of Public Works and Parks. “Take Vernon Hill. The city put in money for the baseball field and park. They tag the basketball hoops and the playground.”

Seeing graffiti as a nuisance and blight, the city created the task force four years ago to deter the problem. The city has three departments working on graffiti: the Department of Public Works, the Police Department and Inspectional Services. Mr. Brown said the task force has been very effective.

Cameras are used to check problem areas. Mr. Brown works with businesses that have their own cameras, asking for footage. The Police Department tracks graffiti as well.

Department of Public Works and Parks Commissioner Robert L. Moylan Jr. said more than 860 places were hit with graffiti from January through the end of September this year.

Graffiti on city property are removed by public works employees. When private property is hit, city officials tell the business or homeowner to have it removed within seven days, per city ordinance.

“Some owners get upset,” Mr. Brown said. “I try to tell them it is a city ordinance. Most homeowners and business owners are pretty good at cleaning their properties.”

From Nov. 16, 2011, to Nov. 16, 2012, 349 orders were issued to private properties to have graffiti removed. In 94 percent of those cases, the issue was corrected within the seven days. The remaining 6 percent required enforcement through court.

There are some places in the city where graffiti — completed as styled artwork — were done with the owners' consent. That is allowed within the city's ordinance.

In July, Cristoforo Colombo Park was covered in black spray paint. Mr. Brown said there were more than 100 different markings in that incident. Chemicals and power washers were used to remove it all, in about three hours.

Mr. Brown said he has seen markings in different areas of the city, but the Canal District and areas around Southgate Street — especially the bridges — are hit often.

The Ernest Johnson tunnel was getting tagged a lot as well.

His task force put one of its three cameras in the tunnel six weeks ago to stop the activity.

“They haven't tagged it since,” Mr. Brown said.

The city Department of Public Works and Parks works with police to identify the markings, some of which are done with permanent marker. Mr. Brown takes pictures and gives them to police.

Police Chief Gary J. Gemme said his department has seen hateful graffiti directed at particular groups.

“We see that in neighborhoods, tagging impacts the quality of life,” he said. Graffiti are reviewed weekly by police.

Gang unit Sgt. Stephen L. Roche said his unit reviews graffiti, but gangs don't mark their territories. That was something seen in the 1980s and early 1990s, he said.

“I don't see an uptick,” he said. “It goes in spurts. Some kids think it is a form of art. One tagger will go around and hit the whole city.”

Nothing is sacred, either. Churches, parks and schools have all been covered over the years.

Police photograph graffiti, looking for similarities, to determine if one person is responsible, and if so, who. Arrests have been made for graffiti.

“As a whole I don't think it is a huge problem for a city our size,” the sergeant said. “We don't want it to spread. We do our best to make an arrest. Once we do that, it usually comes to an end.”

A few weeks ago Walter Green, a 53-year-old resident, saw someone using a rock to draw in freshly poured pavement.

He told the city workers and a police officer, but was frustrated by a lack of response.

He sees the graffiti in Main South. They are a nuisance, and the graffiti carved into the pavement further infuriated Mr. Green.

“Look at the new sidewalks. It is basically graffiti,” he said. “It just keeps going on around here and it seems like no one cares.”

Sgt. Roche doesn't see the pavement carving that often. The Telegram & Gazette gave him pictures of a person carving into fresh sidewalk concrete, and it is now under investigation, the sergeant said. The graffiti in the picture appear to be a reference to the Latin Kings gang.

“We will now distribute that picture within the department and try to identify that man,” Sgt. Roche said.

People may call the Department of Public Works and Parks Customer Service Center at (508) 929-1300 to report graffiti or send police an anonymous text to 274637 beginning with TIPWPD, or submit an anonymous message online via www.worcesterma.gov/police.